Roadway



STUART B. MOOREOF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

ROADWAY.

Application filed March 23, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STUART B. Moenia, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Houston,` in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roadways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itI appertains to make and use the same.

The successive steps of making a roadway in accordance with my invention are illustrated in Figures l to e. Fig. 5 shows one of the expansion joints between sections of the roadway. Y

In carrying out my invention I iirst form the earth surface as shown in Fig. l, a grading machine being used to create a convex base or water shed7 l and side ditches 2. Y I then out the base longitudinally to form the dovetailed grooves 3 with convex inner walls 3?, as seen in Fig. 2. For practical economy the earth removed informing these grooves may be piled as at 4: and kept for subsequent use. At intervals of about 20 feet the roadway is cut transversely to form a series of spaced apart sections, as shown in Fig. 5.

The third step is shown in Fig. 3. I lay rods 5 lengthwise in the grooves 3 and place side forms in position and slightly roughen the surfaces 3a. I then pour the concrete to constitute the rails 6 having channels 7 in their tread surfaces and upward serrations on their outer sides and having the rods 5 embedded in them, and their under faces concaved and roughened as at 8 to ,aid in maintaining them in position and conform to the convex surfaces of the grooves 3. The side forms may then be lifted out. As shown the tops of the rails project well above the base l of the graded surface. I then pour an adhesive composition'Q, such as bitumen or asphalt sizing, over the outer sides and tops of the rails :and the earth previously piled at 4L is used to lill in outside of and between the rails to form a layer l0 terminating in depth about 3 inches below the tops of the rails.

Fig. 4 shows the fourth step consisting of a three inch layer l2 of broken stone or screened gravel upon the layer of earth 10 and upon the rails, taking particular care to allow this stone or gravel to run down Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2S, 1921. Serial No. 368,067.

against the outer faces of thc rails in contact with the adhesive composition 9.

Upon the structure thus far completed I pour a hot asphalt or bitumen filler and al* low it to percolate through the interstices of the subjacent layers l2 and 10. This binds the supporting foundation into a mass which, in addition to firmly holding the rails in place, is impervious to moisture.

It is not necessary that the concrete rails 6 be formed at the roadway. They may be made separately with the rods 5 embedded in them and be inserted lengthwise in the grooves 3 of their respective sections. It is essential, however, that expansion oints be provided between the several sections. As appropriate means for attaining this purpose I cause the reinforcing rods toproject from one end of a rail section and form the other end of the Sectiony with holes 13 to receive the projecting ends of the rods of the adjacent section. The 4projecting portions of the rods are coated heavily with a hot asphalt solution so that they will not adhere to the rail unit into which they extend. This permits of longitudinal motion resulting from expansion or contraction but prevents lateral torsion, thus maintaining the alinement of the rail.

The foregoing applies when the rail is poured as well as when previously formed. In the former event the rods are coated with the asphalt solution at the points where they bridge the spaces between sections and eX- tend into adjacent sections.

The spaces between adjacent sections as laid need not be more than a quarter of an inch in order to allow of sufiicient expansion.

v Experience has shown many advantages of concrete vehicle tracks in a roadway. Primarily it defines the normal area of travel. It has been found very diliicult to keep the rails in place and maintain the proper gage and elevation. This is mainly due to moisture penetrating the bed or foundation which Asupports the rails, Rails which are simply laid uponthe earth foundation, even though they have auxiliary members between them and the earth, fail to meet the requirements.

Bitumen filled or Tarvia roads marked a distinct improvement because they shed water and maintain the underlying earthy material dry and compact. These roads however are not hard and durable; they are soft and theyy wear rapidly, creating holes through which water passes and disintegrates the underlying foundation. Depressions result into which the top layer sinks, causing an undulatingA riding surface. In warm weather the composition wrinkles, making a rough surface.V e i Y The principle'of a hard substance to take the wear while adequately supported a soft substance is well known and may be successfully invoked in roadways provided sufficient bond be employed and leakage of water be prevented. By the means I have shown and described a cement wheel way is firmly bonded in a waterproof asphaltic concrete and the shape of the rails constitutingy the wheel Way is such as to tend to `tighten the bond. The relatively slight Cost of maintenanee is confined to the joint between the cement wheel way and the supporting as- 'phaltic concrete..

By means of the joints between the rail sections adequate provision is made for contraction and expansion. A

I claim as'my invention:

1. In a roadway, a vehicle wheel way comprising rails ofhard material such as cement, and asphaltic concrete covering said rails.` j

2. In a roadway, a vehicle wheel way comprising rails of hard material such as cement, said rails formed with sloping sides which Vare roughened on their outer surfaees, and

a'sphaltic kconcrete forming a supporting bond for said rails and bearing upon the sides thereof.` Y j V3. In a roadway, a cement vehicle wheel way comprising rails, each rail having an i asphaltic sizing applied to its outer surfaces,

and an asphaltic concrete covering said rail. 4L.' In a roadway, a road bed having grooves cut in its surface, in combination with rails seated in said grooves, the sides of said rails being coated with an asphaltic sizing, a layer of earth partially covering the sides of said rails, and a superposed layer of asphaltic concrete completing the covering of said rails.

5. In a roadway, a road bed having dovetailed grooves with convex bases cut in its surface, in combination with dove-tailed rails seated in said groovesI and having their inner walls concaved,`the sides of said rails being coated with an asphaltic sizing, a layer of earth partially covering the sides of said rails, and a superposed layer of asphaltic concret-e completing the covering of said rails. f

6. In a roadway,'a road bed having grooves with eonveX bases cut in its surface, in combination VwithV substantially triangular rails seated'in said grooves formed with channels in their tread portions and having concaved roughened inner walls seated in said grooves, the sloping sides of said rails having upward projecting serrations, a layer of asphaltic sizing covering said rails and asphaltio ooncrete overI said sizing.

In testimony whereof 'I have signed this specification. 'Y STUART B. MOORE. 

